Tractor cultivator



April 15, 1952 w. H. HENDRICK TRACTOR CULTIVATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 25, 1949 ww www.

msx/LIV April 15, 1952 w. H. HENDRICK TRACTOR CULTIVATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 25, 1949 MM NNW NMa km. QN.

l: M INVENTOR. 6./

' ida/fa ATTE] R N EYS April 15, 1952 w. H. HENDRlcK 2,593,028

TRACTOR CULTIVATOR Filed oct. 25, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 15, 1952 w. H. HENDRlcK TRACTOR CULTIVATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 25, 1949 @No Nw 5 ATT RN EYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 U1.\{1' ,.l`,l`:}l) kSI'AJTI'EIS FFICE TRACTOR CULTWATQR `Wallace H; Hendrick, `w`,(1tamarronf,."N C. e@Applicationcameras, 194.9, serial no. 1,123,467 sciame. (Cifetjso) 'il Thisnvention:relates to agricultural equipe iment, and more particularlyto a l, cjiiltivator for iattachmenttoa tractor. o v

The object of the invention is @to provide a zoultivator which is adapted ,to be detahably 9011- `nected fto `a tractor whereby vthe cultivator can be readily removed from or attached to the tractor as desired.

:.Anotherobject of the` invention is to provide a stractorcultlvator whichoan be raisedor lowered .by the .tractor` hydraulicfsystein under control of the tractor ioperator, whereby the depth of cultivationwby .the shovels or plows can `be varied as desired, there benea manually-operable means *for independently raising and lowering the rear sweep-,.shoyels.

astillanother object o f theinvention is to proevidaa tractorpultivator whose parts can be adjusted `in order to permit use of 'the cultivator :under varying field conditions.

Still another object of the inventionV is to proividea tractor cultivator which includes au novel mecliarn or lifting `the variousjshovels and plow so ythat ,the cultivator canbe adjusted kto any desired ridgeor row depth.

'A Afurther object of the invention istoprovide ,a .tractoroultiyator which isextremelysimple and inexpensive 12.0 lManuffacture- ..Qther objects `and advantages will be appa-rent gdiiringthe `course .of thefollowng description. Inftheaccompanying drawings'forming a part of .this application, and vin which like numerals are usedlto designate :like 'parts' throughoutI` the same:

. Figure .1 isa sideelevational view of the tractor 1having the .cultivator ofthe 'presentinvention Lattached theretd'ithe right rearwheel'of the tractor being removed, .andparts being r'broken away and shown in section;

."FigureZ .is a viewsimilar to Figure 1, but with ,the .cultivator "in Vits -raised position;

Figure 3 yis Aa fragmentary `topplan `View o the tractor, with 'the cultivator of `the present invention attachedthereto, and with partsbroken away and ,in section;

Figure`4 is a horizonal llongitudinalsectional View showing certain constructional details of `the cultivator;

d Figure isa fragmentaryside elevational YKview showing one of 'the rear sweep 'shovels -in its lowered .position Figure 6 is a view similar toFigure 5, but showiing the `sweep shovel in 'its raised position;

Figure '7 is a-fragmentary side elevational fview showing part of the mechanismfor connecting the cultivator to the tractor; Y Figure 8 is aperspective view of a'body member for the tractor;

`'Figure l9 is a fragmentary sectional view showingthe connection of one 'of the plows to the frame;

f' igure -10 `is a sectional view taken `on the-line fit-i110 lo'fllrigure 1;

@garer-rissa lsectional riewtaksn 9.1.1 @henne Il-ll of Figure 10; 4

. Figures 12,113 anili are sectional views showing various T positions.of the control valve.

1 deelzrins-,indetail t0 the drawingsthe numeral ,29 designates a `conventional tractor which Vfis provided with` an engine 2l and horizontally# disposed rside members 422. "-Ihe `tractor 2liv further includes a pair of front`wheels`-`23 anda pair of .large rear Wheels 24 which are `connected together by` a horizontally-disposed axle 25. VA suitable ,gear box 261s arranged adjacent .each of theerear wheels 24, the box26 havingthe usual .gears .A2-l, Figure 4, arranged therein, wherebythe tractor engine 2| rotates' the axle'25 tothereby `turn `the wheels 24 solasto propel the tractor 2.0.

.The present inventionis ldirected'toa cultiva- ,tor which yis adapted tobeattached to the tractor 29 and the `cultivator Ais adapted to be adjusted so sto `permit the use of the .cultiyator ginder varying eld conditions, "the cultivator' including a rolieansfor moving the .various shovels and plow into A,and out .of engagement withV the .ground as i desired. The cultivatorof thepresent invention 'includes a frame 28 which is disposed normally below the tractor during use, the frame'Z inf-- oluding `a vpair of identical `sections 219 and '1.30.

"Each of the Asections I29 and 30 includes an elongated arm 3| which has abrace 3,2 secured thereto, as by welding. Arranged atright 4,angles ,with respect to the rear end 4.of the brace 3,2 isfa horizontally-disposed bar 33, the 'bar 33ybein`g secured to the rear end of the arm 3l and to the rear `end of the brace 32. .Dependingly `carried byeach of the arms 13| is a plurality of spaced plows 34. Each of the plows34 includes a ground engaging element 35 that'is secured to'a yshank 36 by bolts 31. The shank '36 secured to thearm `3l by suitable U-bolts 38. The block 39, Figures 1, i2 and 9, is secured to the arin`3l andthe block 39 abuts the 'shank 36 so as `to prevent ,accidental movement of the plow 134 relative to the arm 3l.

For connecting the front end ofthe cultivator to the tractor 20, aplate 39 is secured Vto the side members 22 by bolt and nut assemblies 40. `The plate 39 'is provided with a pliirality of spaced openings 4I and a pin `42 extends through the upper end of a link 43 and into one of the openings 41, the pinv42 providing a pivotal connection between the link 43 and the plate 39. A

pin 44 extends through one ofr a pair of openings 45 in the other end of the llink 43 and the 'pin 44 also extends through the front end ofthe arm 3l so as to pivotally connect the `front end of the sections 29 and 3|) to the link 43 and a cotter pin 41 serves to maintain'the parts in assembled relation.

Mounted on the rear end of each of theextensions 29 and 30 is a sweep shovel 248. The sweep shovels 48 are adapted tobemanually and independently raised and loweredrso that the tractor operator can avoid the-necessity of run,

3 ning middles out twice. Each of the sweep shovels 48 includes a V-shaped, ground-engaging element 49 that is secured to the lower end of a shank 50 by bolt-and-nut assemblies 5|, Figure 5. A plurality of U-bolt assemblies 54 rotatably connect a suitable rod 55 to the bar 33. One end of the bar 55 is arranged at right angles with respect to the main portion thereof, and this end portion is designated bythe numeral 53. Suitable U-bolt assemblies 52 serve to connect the shanks 50 to the portion 53 of the rod 55, hs c .tl 1 at as the rod5 Vis rotated, the shovel 48 will :be moved into and out of engagement with the ground- For causing rotation of the rod 55 and conse- ,quently causing raising and lowering of the 'shovel 48, a handle 56 is pivotally connected to the arm 32 by a pin 51. A tie rod 58 has one -end connected to the handle 56, while the other end of the tie rod 58 is connected to a V-shaped plate 59, the plate 59 being secured to the rod '55. Thus, by moving the handle 56 manually -from the position shown in Figure to the position shown in Figure 6, the rod 55 will be rotated, whereby the shovel 48 will be moved to its raised position. The weight of the handle 56 is suicient to maintain the shovel 48 in its raised or lifted position as shown in Figure 6. For limiting clockwise rotation of the rod 55, the end Vof the plate 59 is adapted to abut the bottom portion of the angle iron arm 32. For preventing the rod 55 from shifting from side to side, a pair of pins 60 project from the rod 55, and the pin 6,0 abuts the adjacent U-bolt 54. It is 'to be noted that one of the shovels 48 is arranged on the rear end of each of the sections seance convey the exhaust iluid back to the tractor reservoir tank, not shown.

For controlling the flow of fluid to and from the hydraulic cylinder 66, a manually-operable valve 14 is interposed between the conduit 1| andthe conduit 12, Figures 1, 2, 3, 12, 13 and 14. rlhe valve 14 includes a housing 15 and rotatably mounted in the housing 15 is a rotor 16, the rotor 16 being provided with a pair of arcuate passageways 11 and 18. A handle 19 is secured to the rotor 16 for rotating the latter. A rst conduit 80 has one end communicating with the housing 15 and the other end of the flexible conduit 80 communicates with the upper end of the cylinder 66. A second'flexible conduit 8| has one end also communicating with the interior of the housing 15. while the other end of the conduit 8| communicates with the lower end of the cylinder 66.

Arranged contiguous to the inner face of each of the gear boxes 26 is a bracket 83, the bracket 83 being secured to the box 26. Suitable bolts 85 connect a bearing block 84 to the bracket 83, there being a pair of the bearing blocks 84. A horizontally-disposed shaft 86 is rotatably supported by the pair of bearing blocks 84. A boltand-nut assembly 88 pivotally connects the upper end of a finger 81 to the end piece 69, the bolt 80 extending through the slot 10. The lower end'of the finger 81 is secured to the shaft 86 so that as the rod 68 is moved back and forth in the cylinder 66, the shaft 86 will be caused to V29 and 30, and also the previously-described actuating mechanism is provided for each shovel.

The rear ends of the sections 29 and 30 are detachably connected together, whereby the cultivator can be readily assembled and disassembled. Thus, a, vertically-disposed end member 6I, Figures 10 and 1l, has its lower end secured to the bar 33, as by welding, and secured to the upper end of the end member 6| is a horizontally-disposed frame piece 62 which is provided with a longitudinal slot 63 therein. A similar frame piece projects from the other end member 6|, and suitable securing elements, such as the bolt-and-nut assemblies 65, project through the registering slots 63 in the frame pieces 62 so as to maintain the sections in their assembled positions. Suitable braces 64 are provided for strengthening the rear end of the cultivator.

The cultivator frame 28 is adapted to be raised orv lowered. Thus, the cultivator can be moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2, or vice versa, and for raising and lowering the cultivator, a hydraulically-operated means under the control of the tractor operator is provided. This hydraulic means includes a hollow cylinder 66 which has one end pivotally connected to the side member 22 by a pin 61. A suitable piston is slidably arranged in the cylinder 66, and a rod 68 is connected to the movable piston. An end piece 69 is secured to the rod 68, and the end piece 69 is provided with a slot 10 for a purpose to be later described. The hydraulic cylinder 66 is conven- .tional and a suitable source of hydraulic fluid may be provided. A conduit 1| is connected to the supply pump of the tractor and is adapted .to convey or transmit the hydraulic fluid from the source of supply. The conduit 1| is connected to a second conduit 12 which serves to rotate.

Secured to each end of the shaft 86 1s a rocker arm 89, so that as the shaft 86 rotates, the pair of rocker arms 89 rotate. A support member 92 is connected to each of the rocker arms 89 by suitable bolt-and-nut .assemblies 90 and 9|, and a pin 93 pivotally connects the rear end of the 92 to the upper end of a link;

94. The lower end of the link 94 is pivotally Yconnected to a lever 95 by a pin 96, the pin 96 extending through one of a plurality of holes 91 lin the lever 95. The front end of the lever 95 is pivotally connected to the housing or gear box 26 by a pin 90.

The rear end ofthe lever 95 is pivotally con- :nected to the lower end of a link |00 by a. pin

99, while the upper end of the link |00 is pivotally connected to the rear end of a body member |0| by a pin |02. The front end of the body member |0| is pivotally connected to the rear end Vof a hanger member |04 by a bolt-and-nut assembly |03, the hanger member |04 being secured to the gear box 26 by suitable bolt-and-nut assemblies |05. The body member |0| includes a transverse portion or rod |06 that is pivotally 'connected to the arm 3| by a pin or bolt-andnut assembly |01.

` In use, with the cultivator of the present invention'attached to the tractor 20, the cultivator is arranged in any desired position. Thus.

`as shown in Figure 1, the cultivator is in its lowered position, so that as the tractor travels along the field, the plows 34 and the sweep shovels 48 will cultivate the ground.

Then, to move the cultivator to its raised position, as shown in Figure 2, the tractor operator grips the valve handle 19 and moves the ro- `tor 16 to the position as shown in Figure 13,

whereby the passageway 11 will connect the conduit 13 to the conduit 8| and the passageway 18 will connect the conduit 1| to the conduit 80. Thus, hydraulic fluid will flow from the source of supply through the conduit 1|, thence through the passageway 18, thence through the conduit 80 and into the upper end of the cylinder 66, so that the rod 68 will be retracted into the cylinder 66. After the rod 68 has been retracted, the desired amount, the rotor 16 can be moved to the position shown in Figure 12, so that the rod 68 will be held immobile and will not move accidentally. As the rod 68 moves into the cylinderBS, the linger 81 will be rotated in a clockwise direction to thereby rotate the shaft 86. Rotation of the shaft 88 causes rotation of the pair of rocker arms 89, and as the rocker arms 89 move, they carry therewith the support member 92. Movement of the support member 92 causes the link 94 to be lifted upwardly, and this results in the lever 95 pivoting about the pin 98. Since the link |99 connects the lever 95 to the body member and since the rod |06 of the body member I0! is pivotally connected to the arms 3| oi each of the sections 29 and 30, the sections 29 and 39 will be raised or lifted to the position shown in Figure 2.

Similarly, to move the cultivator from its raised position shown in Figure 2 to its lowered position, as shown in Figure 1, the rotor 16 is moved to the position shown in Figure 14, wherein hydraulic fluid will be conveyed to the front end of the cylinder 66 to thereby move the rod 68 out of the cylinder 66. By means of the previously-described link-and-lever arrangement, this outward movement of the rod 68 will permit the sections 29 and 30 to drop to their lowered position.

Further, the rear sweep shovels 48 can be raised and lowered independently, as desired. Thus, the usei need only move the handle 58 to the position shown in Figure 5, when the cultivator is in its lowered position, in order to have the sweep shovels 48 engage the ground. To raise the sweep shovels 48, the user pivots the handle 56 from the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown'in Figure 6.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a tractor cultivator has been provided which is simple to construct and connect to a tractor, and wherein the cultivator is capable of withstanding rough use. The cultivator plows are arranged or spaced so as to insure that there is suincient clearance to permit trash to pass therebetween, and further, the number of plows can be varied as desired. Further. the pair of rear sweep shovels 48 can be raised and lowered independently of the plows 34, so as to avoid the necessity of running middles up twice. The major portions of the sections 29 and 30 can be made of any suitable material, such as angle iron. Theslot 'l0 in the end piece 69 enables the cultivator to swing back and up in the event that the plows 34 hit a solid rock. Also, the cultivator can be quickly attached to the tractor. By being able to adjust the position of the cultivator, the device of the present invention can be used for various heights of ridges or rows.

What is claimed is:

1. 'I'he combination with a tractor includingV side members, a cylinder pivotally connected to one of said side members and adapted to be connected to a 'source of hydraulic fluid, a rod slidably arranged in said cylinder, a manually-operable valve for controlling the now of hydraulic fluid to Aand from said cylinder, of a cultivator disposed below said tractor, said cultivator includfor movement into and out of engagement with ing aframe, said frame comprising a pair of sec- -the ground, a plate secured to each of said side members, a link pivotally connecting the front of said arm to said plate, and means connecting said sections to said hydraulically-operated rod.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said last-named means comprises a bracket arranged contiguous to the inner surface of the tractor gear box and secured thereto, a bearing block secured to each of said brackets, a horizontally-disposed shaft carried by said bearing block, rocker arms mounted on each end of said shaft, a nger having one end secured to said shaft and its other end pivotally connected to said hydraulically-operated rod, a support member carried by each of said rocker arms, a rearwardly-extending lever having one end pivotally connected to the tractor gear box, a link having its upper end pivotally connected to said support member and its lower end pivotally connected to said lever, a horizontally-disposed hanger member secured to each of said gear boxes, a body member having its front end pivotally connected to the rear end of said hanger member, a link pivotally connecting the rear end of said body member to the rear end of said lever, said ibody member including a rod, said lastnamed rod having its lower end pivotally connected to the arms of said sections.

3. The combination with a tractor including side members, a cylinder pivotally connected to one of said side members and adapted to be connected to a source of hydraulic fluid, a rod slidably arranged in said cylinder, a manually operable valve for controlling the iioW of hydraulic fluid to and from said cylinder, of a cultivator disposed below said tractor, said cultivator including a frame, said frame comprising a pair of sections, each of said sections comprising an arm, a brace arranged angularly with respect to said arm and having its front end secured thereto, a bar secured to said brace and to said arm, a plurality of plows dependingly carried by said arm. a rod pivotally supported on said bar, a handle connected to said rod for pivoting the latter, sweep shovels carried by said rod and mounted for movement into and out of engagement with the ground, a plate secured to each of said side members, a link pivotally connecting said arm to said plate, and means connecting said sections to said hydraulically operated rods.

WALLACE `H. HENDRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,760,336 Benjamin May 27, 1930 1,955,789 Brown et al. Apr. 24, 1934 2,086,350 Brown July 6, 1937 2,430,597 Acton Nov. 11, 1947 

